The Spanish plant has annual production capacity of 57,000 tonnes

Dow Chemical has started up the first commercial plant for its new family of propylene-ethylene copolymers at its complex in Tarragona, Spain.

The plant has capacity to produce 57,000tpa of the company’s Versify range of plastomers and elastomers. Dow senior vice president for plastics Romeo Kreinberg said: “The strong customer demand and interest has accelerated the start up of our first commercial plant just seven months after the product introduction.”

When the company unveiled the new materials in February it said it would use its existing facilities for commercial production (PRW.com 17 February). Dow has developed a processing system for Versify materials which combines new catalyst systems with its proprietary Insite technology.

The copolymers are targeted at flexible and rigid packaging producers, manufacturers of thermoplastic elastomers and olefins, and converters in the consumer products sector.